Etihad airways reaches new high as number of Emirati employees passes 3,000

Etihad Airways has celebrated a major milestone in its Emiratisation programme with over 3,000 Emirati nationals now employed by the UAE’s national airline. In 2015 alone, the airline welcomed more than 1,200 UAE nationals to its global workforce, representing 29 per cent of its core staff. The airline plans to employ a further 5,000 Emirati employees by 2020.

The airline hosted a
celebratory event to raise awareness of its successful Emiratisation drive, starting
with a panel discussion involving Emirati staff from various departments within
Etihad Airways.

A commemorative video was
premiered at the event profiling 12 national employees hired in 2015,
highlighting the diverse role Emiratis are playing in the aviation industry.

James Hogan, Etihad
Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Since its inception in
2003, Etihad Airways has been a driving force in the nation’s Emiratisation
programme, recognising and promoting the role of Emiratis in the aviation
sector and empowering them to peruse their goals. Today, as one of the world’s
youngest and fastest growing major airlines, we are proud to have delivered on
our commitment to develop a cadre of highly qualified Emirati aviation
professionals.”

In 2015, Etihad
Airways also recruited a record number of 26 Emirati executives and senior
managers across its various departments and disciplines.

Additionally, 280
Emiratis graduated from the airline’s development programme, making it the
largest graduation year to date, and 90 graduates were offered the opportunity
to represent the UAE at the joint Alitalia-Etihad Airways Pavilion at EXPO
Milan.

The airline currently
boasts an equal ratio of male to female Emirati employees, and in August last year
celebrated the first Emirati Women’s Day, acknowledging the increasing number
of female staff in its workforce and the diverse roles they perform across the
airline’s business, from pilots and engineers to cargo ramp managers and
aviation medicine specialists.

Etihad Airways also offers UAE nationals the
opportunity to work in a dynamic, multi-cultural environment and to be posted
on international assignments to accelerate their development. More than 90 UAE
nationals are currently positioned at the airline’s offices and airports across
the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The airline has formed
strategic collaborations with a range of UAE educational and Emiratisation
institutions, including the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council, Higher Colleges of
Technology, Ministry of Higher Education, Zayed University and Abu Dhabi
University, with the aim of offering UAE nationals various opportunities to
develop into world-class industry professionals.

The diverse range of
roles includes cadet pilots, technical engineers, sales managers, guest service
agents, contact centre agents, administrative positions, as well as various
posts in the airlines’ operations and commercial functions.

Sultan Al Mahmoud,
Etihad Airways’ Vice President Corporate Strategy, said: “Etihad Airways
provides a great platform for learning, accompanied by a strong sense of
corporate identity and culture which in turn contributes greatly to our
continued growth and success.”

Dr Zahra Al Balooshi,
the most recent addition to the team of skilled medical practitioners at Etihad
Airways’ acclaimed Medical Centre, said: “I am very proud to be part of a
national airline which has become a globally recognised brand renowned for
excellence in all areas of its business, including aviation medicine. I intend
to continue in this field and to specialise in aviation and travel medicine so
as to provide the necessary primary and secondary healthcare services to all
Etihad employees.”

Hind Al Hosani, Etihad
Airways’ HR Business Partner and one of the Emiratis hired in 2015, said: “I
chose to work for Etihad Airways due to its global presence, which has offered
me the unique opportunity to be part of an exciting multicultural team and to
gain valuable insight into international business practices.”

In December 2015,
Etihad Airways won the Middle East North Africa and Middle East Human Resources
awards for Emiratisation and also received the Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence
in Government Performance in Human Resources Development.